Friday, October 3, 2008

Harley dealer sued for gender bias

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Harley-Davidson dealer Dudley Perkins Co was recently sued by one of their former employees for gender discrimination. Female mechanic Bowen Dean had dreamt of being a motorcycle mechanic since a young age, and after completing a year long mechanic training course got hired by the dealer as an entry-level technician.

However, instead of working as a mechanic, Dean was assigned to tasks such as book keeping and customer service. The dealership proceeded to hire two less-qualified men to work as mechanics at the company. Dean filed a discrimination complaint in response, which prompted the company to fire her. Although she has applied for mechanic positions at other Harvey-Davidson dealers, she has yet to be hired anywhere.

What are are your reactions to this article? What initiatives should be taken to raise awareness for women working in male-dominated professions?